Method of making covering elements



Dec. 25, 1945. G. SMOLAK 7 METHOD OF MAKING A COVERING ELEMENT Filed May19, 1944 INVENTOR GPO/P6! Jim 44.

TTORNEY Patented Dec. 25, 1945 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,391,805METHOD OF MAKING COVERING ELEMENTS George Smolak, Somervllle, N.

1., assignor to Johns-Manville Corporation, New York, N. Y., acorporation of New York Application May 19, 1944, Serial No. 536,276

9 Claims.

lations of contrasting color and/or character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method for themanufacture of such panels of relatively large size, the methodinvolving the conjoint use of stencil and transfer sheets to provide anintaglio design of bricks or like units separated by mortar joints, thebrick simulating areas carrying a surfacing material contrasting inappearance to the joint simulations.

A further object of tlie invention is the provision of a method ofproducing asbestos-cement panels which accurately portray the appearanceof a plurality of courses of-building units.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a method forthe purposes defined above which is susceptible to rapid commercialoperation.

My invention will be more fully understood and further objects andadvantages thereof will become apparent when reference is made to themore detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof which is tofollow and to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a siding or similar unit made in accordancewith the instant invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic, perspective view illustrating the method ofthe instant invention;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, plan view of a. stencil employed in the method;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, plan view of a transfer sheet employed in themethod;

Fig. 5 is an elevational view illustrating a pressing step of themethod; and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic, elevational view illustrating a further stepin the method.

A siding unit or the like, simulating the appearance of a plurality ofcourses of building units such as bricks, made by the method of theinstant invention, is illustrated at In in Fig. 1. As shown, the panelma comprise a plurality of brick simulating areas l2, delineated bydepressed mortar joint simulations l4. Areas I2 is composed.

are suitably of brick texture and color, this effect being obtained by acoating or surfacing of a relatively fine, granular material, partiallyembedded in the asbestos-cement or other fibrecement material, of whichthe base of the panel similarly preferably surfaced with fine granulesor the like of a mortar color, partially embedded in the base slab. Theunits may be made of any desired thickness to have any necessarystrength and stability. Also, if desired, they may be made relativelythin and be laminated to a supporting or insulating backing sheet suchas a sheet of fiberboard or the like.

In accordance with the method of the invention, a base sheet l6 ofasbestos-cement in a wet, unset state is laid on a supporting surfacesuch as a steel plate I8 or the like. The sheet may be prepared in aconventional manner by a wet machine operation in which the sheet isbuilt up on an accumulator drum from a multiplicity of thin laps of anasbestos-cement slurry or by a filter press operation or the like, butshould contain a substantial amount of water at this stage.

It has been found that "a sheet using conventional stock, that is,approximately equal parts of asbestos fiber and Portland cement formedin a filter press under a pressure of only about lbs. per sq. in. isparticularly suitable. The wet sheet is preferably laid on a screen vl'lwhich is supported by steel plate l8 with either the roughened screenface, that is the face which was against the screen of the press, or thesmooth die face turned upwardly. The base sheet may contain any suitablepigmenting medium to impart a desired color thereto and may containother ingredients conventionally employed in the manufacture ofasbestos-cement products.

. A stencil 20, formed of a flexible material, is placed to overlie thebase sheet as indicated in Fig. 2. A material found suitable for thispurpose is rag felt such as employed in the manufacture of flexibleroofing and the like. The stencil, cut in the desired design with thecutout spaces defining the building unit areas, is first sized on oneface with vinsol resin, a lacquer or other conventional water-insolublesizing to prevent such rapid absorption of water as to decrease itsstrength and is then coated on the sized face, by a spray, transfer rollor other means, with a water-soluble adhesive 22 (see Fig. 3). The idealadhesive is one which is strong when dry, but which rapidly softens ordissolves in the presence of m0isture.- For example, adhesives such assodium silicate, dextrin, glue or The mortar joint simulations are -thelike, or mixtures thereof may be employed,

dextrin being preferred. While this material is in the adhesive state acoating 24 is applied thereto. The coating comprises sand or similargranular material, intermixed with Portland cement or the like, the twobeing present in suitable proportions, say 60% sand and 40% cement.Other fine granular materials which will simulate mortar or other jointfillers may be employed. The granular material is lightly pressed intothe adhesive and the excess removed. The stencil is applied, after theadhesive has hardened, with its coated face against the base sheet.

A transfer sheet 26 (see Fig. 4) is prepared to temporarily support agranular material to constitute the facing for the brick simulatingareas. Sheet 26 may also be formed of any suitable absorbent, flexiblematerial which can be quickly wet by water. As a specific example, a milkraft paper has been found to be particularly suitable for this purpose.The sheet is provided with a coating 28 of a water-soluble adhesive,such as any of those referred to above for use on the stencil. A mixtureof a relatively fine, granular material 30 of the character of thegranules employed on asphalt roofing or the like, and of a color tosimulate the selected building unit together with a cement, andpreferably a pigment, is distributed over the coated area and lightlypressed therein to become adhered thereto, any excess being shaken off.The materials are employed in suitable proportions, say 70% granules,27% cement and 3% pigment. If desired, different portions of the sheetmay be coated with granules of different colors to provide theappearance in the completed unit of individual bricks or groups ofbricks of different color or character. After the adhesive is hardenedto insure retention of the granular material, the transfer sheet isapplied over the stencil with the coated surface adjacent the stencil,as illustrated in Fig. 2.

A plurality of assemblies made as described above, are piled up with afilter screen interposed between adjacent assemblies, and the pilesinserted in a press, as illustrated in Fig. 5, and subjected to highpressure therein, say to a pressure of 2,000 lbs. or more per sq. in.During the pressing operation the stencil is impressed into, and itsgranular material is firmly embedded in, the plastic material of thebase sheet. At the same time, the adhesive securing the granularmaterial to the stencil is softened or dissolved, and the cementitiouscontent of the coating is hydrated. Similarly, the coating carried bythe transfer sheet in those areas exposed to the base sheet through thecut-outs is embedded in the base sheet, the adhesive binding thegranular material to the transfer sheet issoftened or dissolved and thecementitious content of the coating is hydrated.

After completion of the compressing action, the assemblies areimmediately removed from the press and the transfer sheets and stencilsstripped therefrom as illustrated in Fig. 6, leaving raised bricksimulating areas surfaced with an embedded layer of granules supplied bythe transfer sheet and depressed mortar joint simulations surfaced withgranules supplied by the stencil. The asbestos-cement sheets are thencured. The sheets may be trimmed to size either before or after curing.

As previously pointed out, slabs constructed in accordance with themethod may be employed directly as covering elements, or may belaminated to other materials such as fiberboard backing sheets or thelike. Relatively large panels, say 4' x 8' can be expeditiously preparedby the instant method. Panels of such large size promote rapid erectionon the Job and also reduce the number of joints required between panels.Inasmuch as the shape of the brick simulating areas and the mortar jointlines is controlled by the stencil, the design of a brick or stoneconstruction can be accurately portrayed. Also, color variations indifferent brick simulating areas may be readily employed to provide avariegated appearance.

A further advantage of the construction resides in the fact that asubstantially unitary construction is obtained, the surfacing materialsbeing integrally bound to the base slab.

Having thus described my invention in rather full detail it will beunderstood that these details need not be adhered to but that variouschanges and modifications may suggest themselves to one skilled in theart, all falling within the scope of the invention as defined by thesubjoined claims.

What I claim is:

1. In the method of making a covering unit having a, design of buildingelements delineated by joint simulations, the steps comprisinglaying acut-out stencil of the design of the joint lines to overlie a wet sheetof fibre-cement material, laying a sheet carrying a coating of surfacingmaterial to overlie said stencil with said coating ad- Jacent saidstencil and sheet, heavily pressing the assembly thus formed to impressthe stencil into the fibrous, cementitious sheet and to join thesurfacing material to the fibrous, cementitious sheet through theopenings of said stencil, and stripping off the sheet and stencil.

2. In the method of making a covering unit having a design of buildingelements delineated by depressed joint simulating lines, the stepscomprising laying a coated cut-out stencil of the design of the Jointsimulating lines on a wet sheet of fibrous, cementitious material withthe coating adjacent the sheet, laying a transfer sheet carrying acoating of surfacing material to overlie said stencil, with the coatingthereon adjacent the stencil, pressing the assembly thus formed to joinsaid coatings to the fibrous, cementitious sheet and stripping off thetransfer sheet and stencil.

3. In the method of making an asbestos-cement covering unit carrying adesign of building elements delineated by depressed joint simulatinglines, the steps comprising laying a cut-out stencil of the design ofthe joint simulating lines and carrying a granular coating securedthereto by a water-soluble adhesive to overlie a wet sheet ofasbestos-cement material, with the coating adjacent the sheet, laying atransfer sheet carrying a coating of surfacing material secured theretoby a water-soluble adhesive to overlie said stencil, with the coatingadjacent the stencil and the asbestos-cement sheet, pressing theassembly thus formed to join said coatings to said asbestoscementsheet,'stripping off the sheet and stencil and curing theasbestos-cement sheet.

4. In the method of making an asbestos-cement brick simulating sidingpanel, the steps comprising preparing a base sheet of wet asbestoscementcomposition, preparing a stencil of the design of the joint lines of aplurality of partial courses of brick by coating a surface of thestencil with a layer of joint simulating material secured thereto by aWalter-soluble adhesive, preparing a transfer sheet by coating a facethereof with a layer of surfacing material secured thereto by awater-soluble adhesive, laying said stencil of said stencil with amixture of granular surfacing material and cement, said mixture beingsecured to said stencil by a water-soluble adhesive, preparing aflexible transfer sheet by coating the sheet with a layer comprising amixture of brick-colored, granular surfacing material and cement, saidmixture being secured to the transfer sheet by a water-soluble adhesive,laying said stencil with said coated surface against the base sheet,laying the transfer sheet, with the coated face overlying said stencil,pressing the assembly thus formed to partially embed said granularcoatings in said asbestos-cement sheet, stripping ployed of the order of150 lbs. per sq. in., applying a cut-out stencil of the design of theJoint simulating lines and carrying a granular coating to overlie saidasbestos-cement sheet, laying a transfer sheet carrying a coating ofsurfacing material to overlie said stencil, pressing the assembly thusformed to join said coatings to said asbestos-cement sheet, strippingthe transfer sheet and stencil from the assembly and curing the cement.

8. In the method of making an asbestos-cement multiple building unitsimulating siding the transfer sheet and stencil from the assembly I andcuring the asbestos-cement sheet.

6. The method comprising forming a multiple unit simulating siding froman asbestos-cement material, the steps comprising preparing a stencil inthe design of the joints of a plurality of courses of building unitsfrom a water absorbent, flexible material by applying awater-solubleadhesive to a face of the stencil and adhering a coating comprising amixture of granular material and cement to said adhesive, preparing atransfer sheet from a water absorbent, flexible material by applying awater-soluble adhesive to a face of said sheet and adhering a coatingcomprising a mixture of a granular material and cement to said face bysaid adhesive, laying said stencil to overlie a wet sheet ofasbestos-cement material with said granule coatedface against saidasbestos-cement sheet, laying saidtransfer sheet to overlie said stencilwith the coated face of the transfer sheet against said stencil and as-.

bestos-cement sheet, pressing the assembly thus formed to partiallyembed said granular coatings in said asbestos-cement sheet, strippingthe panel, the steps comprising forming an asbestos cement sheet by awet pressing operation, preparing a stencil of the design of the mortarjoint nes of a plurality of building unit courses by ecuring a mixtureof a granular surfacing material and cement to one face thereof by awatersoluble adhesive, preparing a transfer sheet by applying a coatingcomprising a mixture of a granular surfacing material and cement to oneface thereof with awater-solubie adhesive, laying the stencil with itscoated surface against the asbestos-cement sheet, laying the transfersheet with the coating thereon against said stencil, pressingtheassembly thus formed to partially embed the granular coatings intosaid asbestos cement sheet and to compress and densify such sheet,stripping the-;-transfer sheet and stencil from the assembly and clulngthe cement material.

9. In the method of making an asbestos-cement multiple unit simulatingsiding, the steps comprising preparing a wet asbestos-cement base sheet,preparing a stencil of the design of the mortar joints of a plurality ofcourses of building units by securing thereto a coating layer comprisinga mixture of granular material, pigment,

and cement, by a water-soluble adhesive, preparing a transfer sheet bysecuring to one face thereof a coating material comprising a granularmaterial and cement by a water-soluble adhesive,

laying said stencil to overlie said base sheet with saldcoating incontact with said base sheet, laying said transfer sheet to overlie saidstencil and base sheet with the coating thereon in contact with thestencil and base sheet, placing the assembly thus formed with aplurality of simtransfer sheet and stencil and curing saidasbestos-cementsheet.

'7. In the method of making an asbestos-cement multiple unit simulatingsiding. the steps comprising forming an asbestos-cement sheet by a wetpressing operation with a pressure emilar assemblies in a press with afiltering screen between adjacent assemblies, pressing such assembliesby imposing thereon a pressure of the order of 2200 lbs. per sq. in.,removing the assembly from the press, stripping said stencil andtransfer sheet from the assembly and curing the cement.

GEORGE SMOLAK.

